Improvement in tuck-markers for sewing-machines



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

AURELIUS STEWARD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN TUCK-MARKERS FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,649, dated December8, 1874; application filed September 2, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, AURELIUS STEWARD,

of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain Improvements in Tuck-Markers, of which the following isa specification:

The nature of my invention consists in con structing a marker orcreaser, which is used upon a sewing-machine in the operation calledtucking, in such a manner as to be convenient in its management, silent,yet effective, in its operation, and especiallyso as to be durable whenoperating at very high rates of speed, as when machines are dri en bysteampower.

The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, showmy tuck-m arker in perspective, full size, attached to the clothplate ofa Wheeler 86 Wilson sewinganachine, as in use, with parts lettered asfollows:

A shows the cloth-plate of the sewing-machine; B, the needle-arm of thesame; C, a thumb-screw D .D, the gage; E,a set-screw; F, the gib; G andG, side rails; H H, the

blade-plate; I I, a notched spring; J, the

frame; K, the rocking-foot; L, the connecting-rod; M, theoperating-lever; N, the short lever; O, the screw-post.

For convenience in construction, the side rails G and G, blade-plate HH, and notched spring I l are made in separate pieces, of a size andshape shown in the drawings, and all attached by riveting or otherwiseto the frame J, thus securing these parts together. That part of theframe J to which the side rails and the notched spring are attached ismade thinner vertically than the part to which the blade-plate issecured, in order that the side rails and notched spring maystand apartfrom the blade-plate far enough to allow, when in operation, the fabricto be inserted between their forward ends, as hereinafter described. Theparts of the gage D and D may also be made separately, and connectedtogether by screws, or otherwise, being when completed, however,equivalent to one piece, as represented in the drawings, the part Dhaving an aperture through it longitudinally, through which the 'notchedspring I I and the side rails G and G maybe passed before those partsare secured to the frame J and the part D having a groove in its underside, heneath the part D, of suitable size to receive the blade-plate HH, and through which it may slide freely. Through a screwhole in thepart D of the gage I insert the set-screw E, and connect with the endthereof a thin square metal plate or gib, one edge of which is shown atF, the point of the set-screw passing through a hole in the center ofthe gib,

and secured by riveting-not so as to prevent the set-screw from beingeasily turned, but sufficient to prevent its being removed. This gibextends over the edges of the side rails G and G, that, by turning theset-screw, the side rails may be clamped between the gib and the portionof the gage opposite, and the creasing portion of the instrument thusheld in any required position. To support the rear end of thetuck-marker, and for the purpose of adjusting it, as hereifiafterdescribed, the screw-post O is screwed into a hole in the frame J, thelower end of the screw-post standing upon the frame of thesewing-machine. (Not shown in the drawings.) The gage D l) is secured tothe cloth-plate A of the sewingmachine by means of the thumb-screw C,Which passes through aslot, as shown in thedrawin The blade-plate isturned up at theforward end, reduced in thickness to form a blade havinga moderately-sharp edge, and shaped, as shown at H, to act in connectionwith the notch formed upon the forward end of the notched spring, asseen at l, in forming, when in operation, a crease in the fabric, in amanner now common in tuck markers. Passing through a hole in the frameJ, or otherwise pivoted to that part, is the operating-lever M, which,when intended for those machines having a vibrating needle-arm, isconstructed in the shape plainly shown in the drawings, its upper endbeing provided with a roller to diminish the friction caused by itscontact with the needle-arm of the machine. For those machines, however,which have no vibrating arm, the lever M is extended further forward,nearly parallel with the side rails G and G, its forward end coming incontact with the needlebar, and provided with a slot, through which theneedle may pass to keep the lever in position, the slot being ofsufficient length to allow the instrument to be adjusted from front toback to produce any width of tuck desired. The operating-lever M alsoextends through the frame J, where it is again bent upward to form theshort lever N, which short lever is connected by a joint at its upperend with the connecting-rod L.

Between the side rails G and G, near their forward ends, is pivoted therocking-foot K, which rocking-foot is also, at its upper end, jointed tothe other end of the connectingrod L.

It will be seen, then, that as the operatinglever M is depressed by theneedle-arm or needle bar, motion will be communicated through the shortlever and the connecting rod to the rocking-foot K, causing it to actupon the notched spring, forcing the notch I down upon the blade H, toform acrease in the fabric, as before stated.

It is evident that whatever pressure may be exerted by the rocking-footupon the notched spring will be exerted in an opposite direction uponthe side rails G and G, for which reason the side rails are placededgewise that they may Withstand completely whatever strain is exertedupon them.

The notched spring is so formed that, if free, the notched end wouldstand much higher than when confined in its place, that it may, whenforced down upon the fabric in the manner described, and permitted torecoil, by actin g upon the rocking-foot and the connecting mechanism,raise the operating-lever to its first position. Now, when in itsmovement, the needle-arm B is at its lowest point, its under surface isin a horizontal position, and hence the downward movement of the operat'ing-lever will always be the same; but when the tuck-marker is setforward, as is necessary in making wide tucks, it will be seen that theupward movement of the needle-arm, Where it comes in contact with theoperating-lever, is much greater. In order, then, that the reaction ofthe notched spring may be sufficient whatever position on the machinethe tuckmarker may be placed in, the under side of the rocking-foot ismade curvilineal in form, that, as it is thrown back, the point of itscontact with the notched spring will be nearer the pivot upon which itvibrates, thus shortening the leverage, and thereby imparting, in allcases, sufficient sweep to the operating-lever, to hold it with a lightbut constant pressure against the needle-arm. It will, therefore, beseen that there is at no time any slack or lost motion in any of theparts between the needle-arm B and the notched spring, and as thenotched spring vibrates but a short distance, the notch I does not meetthe blade H or the interposing fabric with any shock, the result beingthat the machine may be run at the highest speed attainable in practicalwork with no perceptible noise of the tuck-marker, and the leastpossible injury to the sewingmachine.

When in use, the tuckanarker is attached to the machine in the mannerdescribed, and the gage set in such proximity to the needle as toproduce the proper width of tuck. The side rails and connected parts maythen be slid forward or back through the gage, until the notch and bladeare in a position to produce the crease for the succeeding tuck at theproper distance from the first, and these parts secured in place bytightening the set-screw E. The fabric being inserted beneath the siderails and above the blade-plate, if the pressure upon the fabric iseither too great or insufficient to produce a perfect crease, the notchmay be made to exert the proper amount of pressure-upon the blade byslightly elevating or depressing the rear end of the tuck-marker bymeans of the screw-post 0.

I claim.-

1. The combination of the rocking-foot K, side rails G and G, notchedspring I 1, con- 'necting-rod L, short lever N, and operatinglever M,all constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the frame J, ride rails G and G, blade-plate HH, and notched spring I I, with its operating mechanism, of thescrew-post O, for regulating the pressure of such notched spring uponthe projecting lip of the blade-plate H H, as and for the purposesspecified.

A. STEWARD.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. HOUSE, CHARLES H. DIMOND.

